Live dealer online blackjack

Live dealer casino games are certainly some of the most realistic online gambling games you can currently play. Whilst the graphics in standard online blackjack games are all very good, you just can’t beat the feeling of actually being there in a land-based casino. Naturally, you can never really be there if you play online, but live dealer online blackjack games get you as close as possible. Let’s look a little closer at these revolutionary blackjack games.

How it works

The technology behind live dealer online blackjack is simple enough to grasp. When they open up the game, players will be met with a real time video feed from inside a land-based casino, or a casino studio. A real to life human dealer is there besides the blackjack table, to help turn over those all-important cards.

Certain aspects of the game remain digital, such as your betting buttons, and your cards. In some cases, players are even allowed to switch cameras to get a better look at the table, or even talk to their human dealer. The options you get vary based on the software your casino site uses, but as that software develops, live dealer online blackjack games will become ever more realistic.

Placing bets

Because the wagering menu bar is practically the same as those which appear in standard online blackjack games, betting shouldn’t pose a challenge to anybody who has played online blackjack before. Players are simply required to select the chips they wish to bet with, and then their betting is complete. You can’t really get simpler than that. The chips you have to bet with, as well as the table’s minimum and maximum wagers vary from game to game. Generally speaking, the minimum bet is usually 1 credit per hand.

Standard blackjack rules

Almost all live dealer online blackjack games adopt the same standard blackjack rules. If you don’t know what they are, we’ll discuss them briefly with you now.

After betting, the dealer and the player(s) will each receive 2 cards. The numeric value on the cards is the only thing which is important. The suit plays no role in blackjack, at least not anymore. Cards numbered 2-10 count for their numerical value, whilst Jacks, Queens and Kings all count as 10-point cards. Aces can count as either 1-point or 11-point cards.

The basic objective in blackjack is to beat the dealer’s hand, which you will do by getting as close to 21 points as possible. If you go over that total, you are “bust” and out of the game. After getting their original cards, players can take additional cards as long as they don’t go over 21 points. The player (or dealer) which has the highest ranking hand (up to 21 points) wins.

Special rules

Several live dealer blackjack games incorporate more complex rules than you see above. These rules include Doubling Down (doubling your first bet), Surrendering (folding to save half of your bet), taking Insurance bets (taken when a dealer looks as though they have 21 on their first two cards, to win an additional side-bet pay-out), and Splitting (turning one into two hands, when you double the stake). Each blackjack game has their own rules for these options, and not all live dealer online blackjack games may feature them.

Pay-Outs

Most standard live dealer online blackjack games pay out 3:2 if you land blackjack itself. That is to say, if you have 21 points via an ace and a face (or ten-point card). If you simply beat the dealer’s hand (without acquiring blackjack), then you’ll pocket wins of 1:1. If you’ve taken an Insurance bet and it has come off, you’ll pocket a 2:1 win. In the event that there’s a tie, or both the player and dealer have blackjack, then the hand is a push, and all bets are returned.

Compatibility

There is one aspect of live blackjack which players may wish to look into, and that is the compatibility of live dealer online blackjack games. You will be playing blackjack over a live video feed, and that requires a decent internet connection as well as a good browser to run smoothly. Players who play live dealer online blackjack need to have a fairly modern computer or laptop, or one which has been updated to with modern software. Live dealer online blackjack seldom runs as smoothly on mobile phones or tablets.

Why should I play live dealer blackjack?

If you have grown tired with the standard online casino blackjack games, then live dealer blackjack could be the way to go. The excitement is intensified, since you are placed in a real to life casino or studio. In many cases, that realism is boosted further with the ability to chat to your dealers, and soak up a small piece of the atmosphere which would be present in a brick and mortar casino.